It’s Official! Nitish Breaks Up With BJP, Top JDU Leader Confirms

Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal United (JDU) has officially parted ways with its ally BJP, top JDU leader Upendra Kushwaha confirmed on Tuesday.

Upendra Kushwaha, after the meeting of JDU leaders, took to Twitter and wrote in Hindi: “Congratulations to Shri Nitish Kumar ji for the responsibility of leadership of the new coalition in the new form. Nitish ji, go ahead. The country is waiting for you.”

नये स्वरूप में नये गठबंधन के नेतृत्व की जवाबदेही के लिए श्री नीतीश कुमार जी को बधाई। नीतीश जी आगे बढ़िए। देश आपका इंतजार कर कर रहा है।

— Upendra Kushwaha (@UpendraKushJDU) August 9, 2022

This puts stop to the days-long speculations regarding Nitish’s next move as returns to the fold of Mahagathbandhan (RJD, Congress, Left parties).

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Nitish Kumar, this morning, sought time from governor Phagu Chauhan to meet him. He’ll reportedly be meeting the governor at 4 PM to tender his resignation.

Opposition parties such as Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD and Congress, in alliance with whom the JD(U) contested and won the 2015 assembly elections, also held meeting to discuss the crisis, as well as the possibility of joining hands with Kumar if he decides to break alliance with the BJP.

Tejashwi Yadav led-RJD is currently the state’s single largest party with 80 seats. BJP has 74 seats, JDU,  however, has 43. A total of 122 seats are required to form the government in the state.

The VIP and HAM who are alliance partners of the NDA have 4 seats each. The Grand Old Party has 19 seats, CPI(ML) has 12, and CPI and CPI (M) have 2 each.

If there is a split in the alliance, It will not be the first time that Nitish Kumar would be shaking hands with his rivals.  In 2013, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Janata Dal (United) split from the BJP. Two years later, he joined hands with arch-rival Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress to form the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance). In 2017, he left the mahagathbandhan and returned to the BJP.